Low loss optical fibers are being used, at an ever increasing rate, in the communications industry for transmitting signals. The fibers are assembled into cables which include an outer protective jacket or cladding. The inner or central fiber often is enclosed by a buffer cover or interior jacket, such as of plastic material. A strength system most often is incorporated in the cable, such as between the outer jacket and the inner jacket. One of the most popular strength systems incorporates non-metallic, filamentary strength members, such as polymeric yarn, between the outer jacket and the inner fiber jacket.
Low loss optical fibers are coupled through complementarily mateable connectors which are designed to preserve the low loss capabilities of the fibers. However, a continuing problem in avoiding losses between coupled fibers is the application of forces longitudinally of the fibers after portions of the surrounding jackets have been removed for termination. Any pulling forces on the optical fiber cable must be transferred to the mating connectors in order to avoid degrading the quality of the transmission.
There are many optical fiber connectors which are designed for providing strain relief for the optical fiber cable, but the connectors usually are of a very complicated design involving a plurality of parts which must be fabricated to considerable precision and, consequently, the myriad of parts themselves can degrade the quality of transmission between coupled optical fiber ends. An example of a connector for an optical fiber cable is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,235 to Anderson et al., dated Sept. 5, 1989. This patent shows a connector wherein non-metallic filamentary strength members, or yarn, are clamped by a wedge system which includes a plurality of components, including an interior wedge sleeve externally threaded to an internally threaded compression nut which biases the strength members against still a further truncated member about which the strength members are disposed. Like so many other similar connectors, all of these components must be fabricated individually, to precision, in addition to the other housing and related components of the connector which terminate the optical fiber to another fiber in a complementarily mateable connector.
This invention is directed to solving the problem of strain relief on optical fibers and satisfying the continuing need of a simplified system to combat losses in optical fibers due to pulling forces exerted on the optical fiber cable.